Duration : 03:19:21
The conversation is about the concept of assembly theory and the complexity of objects in the universe. The chemist from the University of Glasgow, Lee Cronin, explains that every star in the sky likely has planets and life emerging on them. However, the vast differences in interplanetary space make it difficult for our causal cones to overlap and communicate with alien life. Cronin expresses the need to create alien life in the lab to intersect with alien intelligence architectures. The conversation also discusses the definition of an object, its history, and the assembly index, which represents the minimum number of steps to create an object. Cronin explains how he has measured the assembly index of molecules and the importance of understanding complexity in the universe.